How to Repair Relationships Damaged By Addiction

From my own experience, I understand how complex and hard a relationship can be. Adding a drug or alcohol addiction to the relationship damages it and could end it. Deciding how to repair relationships damaged by addiction is hard and both partners need to put forth an effort.

This is especially important for long-term committed relationships such as marriage. The ripple effect of drugs not only influences the partner, but also children, relatives, colleagues, and even co-workers.

Healthy and successful relationships have these elements:

Communication that is truthful and confident.

Effort from both partners to make it enjoyable and fulfilling.

A balance between compromise, faith, and thoughtfulness.

No signs of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, or aggressive behavior.

Continuous growth for the individuals and as a couple.

All partners feel confident about themselves.

The presence of drugs or alcohol makes it difficult to balance and manage a healthy relationship with a partner.

Can a long-term relationship like marriage, survive a drug addiction? Yes, it can and it starts with recognizing the signs for one.

Before I got the help for myself and my partner, I noticed differences in his behavior and the quality of our relationship. When I identified the problem, I understood how to repair my relationship damaged by addiction.

These are the signs of a relationship damaged by addiction:

Many discussions about how drug or alcohol use affects other parts of the relationship. This could include financial problems or neglect home obligations.

The possibility to make excuses for a partner’s alcohol or drug use. It can involve instances of requesting a “sick” day from work if they’re hungover.

A partner who claims their drinking or drug usage helps relieve stress related to home or work life.

When either partner shows violent or abusive behavior when one has been abusing alcohol or drugs.

A necessity to use alcohol or drugs to show compassion towards each other.

Both partners become isolated from friends and family to veil the substance abuse.

Don’t wait until all these signs appear in a relationship. Distinguishing one of them is enough to check the relationship and how to mend it.

I read an article by American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. This article discussed how addiction affects relationships and how to repair relationships damaged by drug addiction. This article confirmed my suspicions and I sought out the help I needed.

Based on my experience with long-term relationship and addictions, marriages can survive a drug addiction.

How to Repair Relationships Damaged by Addiction

After my partner acknowledged he had a problem, he was willing to go through treatment. The whole process took a long time and required effort from both of us. After, we were able to continue growing together and married. This journey taught me that marriages can survive a drug addiction.

As someone who has experienced this, I emphasize that effective treatment and therapy is how to repair a relationship damaged by addiction.

Effective Treatment

An effective treatment program is the first step of the recovery process. Without the presence of drugs, a partner can think clearer, make better decisions, and have more discipline over their relationships. Good treatment programs will discuss how to repair relationships damaged by drug addiction.

An effective drug treatment program will help wean the addict off the drug, avoid relapse, and involve therapy.

Here’s what to expect during the treatment part of recovery:

Substance detoxification: Cleanses the body completely of the drug.

Medically supervised withdrawal: Doctors prescribe medications to lessen the symptoms and the potential for a relapse.

After the detox part of the treatment, doctors assess therapy options. Partners become involved in this part of the treatment.

Restoring Relationships in Therapy

Restoring broken trust with family and loved ones help repair a relationship damaged by addiction. A marriage can survive drug addiction if the partners can re-establish a level of trust and love between the two of them.

Here is advice I that I received before starting therapy.

Rebuilding a relationship takes time

After habitual lying and deceit, restoring trust between the partners will take time and patience.

Learn how to communicate

Practice speaking effectively and listening actively. Sometimes people are planning the next idea they want to say instead of paying attention.

Eliminate unhealthy relationships

This doesn’t apply to a romantic partner. If there are friends who are active substance users, it’s important to limit or eliminate time with them.

An effective therapy program will integrate friends and family. This is key to repairing relationships damaged by drug addiction.

Marriages can survive drug addiction if both parties are committed to restoring the relationship and continuing together. This step is critical for long-term relationships.

Once a partner completes detox, it’s imperative that they re-learn how to behave and communicate with people outside of their treatment programs.

Following these steps during treatment will help repair relationships damaged by drug addiction.

Life After Treatment

Repairing a relationship damaged by drug addiction doesn’t end after the partner completes the treatment program.

I continue to encourage my partner to keep attending self-help groups. If he really needs to, he’ll make an appointment with his therapist.

We “check-in” with each other periodically. This ensures he stays on track and I am being supportive towards him. It also gives us a chance to evaluate how the relationship is doing.

Relationships such as marriage can survive a drug addiction. The first step is recognizing the signs and reaching out for help.

I hope this article will help you repair a relationship damaged by addiction.

For more information on how a marriage can survive a drug addiction, go to American Addiction Center. It can offer direction on how to confront your partner and navigate the treatment and therapy process.